'Thailand Focus' to showcase opportunities for investors
THAILAND FOCUS, one of the Thai capital market's biggest investment activities, will be held for the seventh time this month to highlight investment opportunities for both foreign investors and listed companies, after its huge success since first held in
With this year’s theme of “Connecting to New Investment Frontiers”, it is an opportunity that will show how Thailand is positioning itself in the investment world to attract funds from investors. Foreign investors currently account for a quarter of all trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Thailand sits at the heart of the new Asean Economic Community (AEC), sharing extensive borders with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (which, with Vietnam, make up the CLMV region). These countries are among the fastest-growing economies among the emerging markets, and represent a new investment frontier in Asia.
With the government’s infrastructure development over the next seven years, Thailand has an advantage in terms of its strategic location adjacent to CLMV, which will lead to improved regional connectivity. Moreover, it will support the growth of Thailand’s exports to CLMV. Export statistics already show higher growth in the 15 CLMV border provinces.
The SET is well positioned to become the key connector to these new investment frontiers, especially with its new investment vehicles, including infrastructure funds and holding companies whose core business offshore. For example, the BTS Growth Infrastructure Fund (BTSGIF) was the first infrastructure fund listing on the SET. Listing of overseas-listed holding companies helps investors benefit from the activities of Thai firms abroad ahead of the activation of the AEC, with two holding companies on track to be listed this year: CK power and Amata VN.
Thailand Focus 2013 will include more than 100 leading Thai firms, and more than 10 CLMV corporations will be invited for one-on-one meetings. Two days of plenary sessions will cover trends, issues and the most topical investment themes in Thailand as well as the CLMV.
Foreign investors will have opportunities to interact with more than 100 listed companies’ executives that will present their business potentials. In the main conference, top executives from the capital market and public and private sectors will give their visions of Thailand’s economic outlook. In addition, four thematic tours in various cities and across sectors in the key provinces bordering CLMV have been introduced for this year. New potential listings and new products from SET will be in the corporate presentations for investors.
Thailand Focus 2013 takes place from August 28-30, organised by the SET, Phatra Securities and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
CHARAMPORN JOTIKASTHIRA is |president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
